DOH: Vibrio not ‘flesh-eating disease’

The Florida Department of Health sent out a press release last month about vibrio vulnificus, an infectious bacteria that can lead to serious health problems including death. People can be exposed to vibrio vulnificus in warm, brackish waters and by eating raw shellfish, including oysters. So far this year, 13 people have been infected and three people have been killed in Florida, according to DOH data. In 2013, there were 41 cases and 11 deaths in the state.

Heather Leiphart | News Herald file photo

By CHRIS OLWELL | The News Herald

Published: Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 07:15 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Reports of a flesh-eating virus in warm waters off Florida’s coast are overblown, a state health official said Wednesday.

Last month, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) issued a press release urging beachgoers to be aware of vibrio vulnificus, an infectious bacteria that can lead to serious health problems including death. People can be exposed to vibrio vulnificus in warm, brackish waters and by eating raw shellfish.

The health department issues a similar release every year, said DOH press secretary Sheri Hutchinson, who spent the day Wednesday fielding calls from reporters across the country who probably had their interest piqued by headlines such as this one on the website of “Good Morning America”: “Warm water sparks flesh-eating disease warning in Florida.”

“Florida Department of Health” was a trending topic on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

But the DOH press release said nothing about flesh-eating diseases, Hutchinson said, and for good reason.

“Number one, vibrio is not a flesh-eating virus,” she said.

Swimmers with broken skin are especially susceptible to infection from seawater, and they would typically experience swelling, redness and pain at the site of the infection, which can cause flu-like symptoms, skin breakdown and ulceration. If the infection gets into the blood, it is fatal about half the time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PANAMA CITY — Reports of a flesh-eating virus in warm waters off Florida’s coast are overblown, a state health official said Wednesday.

Last month, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) issued a press release urging beachgoers to be aware of vibrio vulnificus, an infectious bacteria that can lead to serious health problems including death. People can be exposed to vibrio vulnificus in warm, brackish waters and by eating raw shellfish.

The health department issues a similar release every year, said DOH press secretary Sheri Hutchinson, who spent the day Wednesday fielding calls from reporters across the country who probably had their interest piqued by headlines such as this one on the website of “Good Morning America”: “Warm water sparks flesh-eating disease warning in Florida.”

“Florida Department of Health” was a trending topic on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

But the DOH press release said nothing about flesh-eating diseases, Hutchinson said, and for good reason.

“Number one, vibrio is not a flesh-eating virus,” she said.

Swimmers with broken skin are especially susceptible to infection from seawater, and they would typically experience swelling, redness and pain at the site of the infection, which can cause flu-like symptoms, skin breakdown and ulceration. If the infection gets into the blood, it is fatal about half the time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Florida in 2014 so far, 11 people have been infected and two people have been killed, according to DOH data. In 2013, there were 41 cases and 11 deaths in the state.

“We’re trending kind of low actually,” Hutchinson said.

The Sarasota County Department of Health on Wednesday issued a news release after two infections there, one of which was fatal. Those cases were recent and were not reflected in the statewide figures.

Just because vibrio vulnificus isn’t a flesh-eating disease and may not be as prevalent this year as it has been in other years doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously, Hutchinson said. She urged anyone showing symptoms to see a doctor.